Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has decided to temporarily retire the No. 8 car in the Cup Series following the unexpected death of Kyle Busch. The decision is made in anticipation of Busch’s son, 11-year-old Brexton, eventually taking over the wheel when ready.

RCR will utilize the No. 33 car on the Cup Series circuit starting from Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 event and continuing thereafter. Austin Hill has been appointed to drive in place of the late Kyle Busch, who was a two-time Cup Series champion, during the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, known as NASCAR’s longest event. As of now, the cause of Kyle Busch’s death remains undisclosed.

Brexton Busch has already made a name for himself in the world of racing. He claimed his first significant victory at the Tulsa Shootout Jr. Sprint Championship, earning a Golden Driller trophy last year. In RCR’s statement, the organization emphasized Kyle Busch’s crucial role in designing the No. 8 car, which became a significant symbol for fans and NASCAR alike. They added, “No one can carry it forward to the level that he did. The No. 8 is reserved and ready for Brexton Busch when he is ready to go NASCAR racing.”

Brexton, a member of the third generation of Busch drivers, entered the racing scene in 2020 at just 5 years old in the Beginner Box Stock division at Millbridge Speedway in Salisbury, North Carolina. He secured his first victory shortly thereafter at Mountain Creek Speedway and has since been building his racing career.

In 2024, Brexton won 48 races, and earned 126 top-10 finishes, along with 107 top-5 finishes across different car styles. This follows a history of RCR making strategic changes following a tragedy, such as in 2001 when Dale Earnhardt’s death led RCR to switch from the black No. 3 to the white No. 29 car number. The No. 3 was later reintroduced in 2014 when Richard Childress’ grandson Austin Dillon took on the role of driver.